Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Rangers 7, Islanders 2: Wrapping up

Wednesday will mark two weeks since Ryan Callahan broke a bone on the top of his left hand, an injury expected to the Rangers heart-and-soul player out 6-8 weeks. Callahan was in the victorious dressing room and wearing a soft cast on his left hand.

Callahan said there’s no timetable for him to resume any sort of exercise with his left hand because the swelling has yet to subside.

As for tonight’s game, here’s the line of the night, which came after I asked Henrik Lundqvist about the difference in his play between the first and second periods. To review: First period: ehhh. Second period: brilliant.

“You could definitely tell I’ve been off a couple of days,” Lundqvist said, before smiling. “Too much ham and Swedish meatballs.”

The jokes come easy after a victory.

‘Cept coach John Tortorella wasn’t necessarily smiling. Simply put, the coach thought his team’s play was “sloppy” and the defense, in particular along with some situational play, needs to be shored up before the Rangers play at New Jersey on Wednesday (as Madison Square Garden told the crowd tonight, plenty of seats available).
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The Rangers will begin their Tuesday practice with what is planned to be about 45 minutes work on the power play.

And Tortorella was asked after the game why he announced his lines as one thing before the game (Mats Zuccarello with Erik Christensen and Sean Avery, Gaborik with Stepan and Dubinsky when, in fact, it worked out as Gaborik and Zuccarello with Stepan, Dubinsky with Artem Anisimov and Chris Drury and Alex Frolov skating with Christensen and Avery).

“I lied,” Tortorella said, before indicating he was joking.

Tortorella said he made up his mind at 6:10, or about 20 minutes before warmups began, after talking to assistants Mike Sullivan and Jim Schoenfeld. Tortorella said he had been toying with the idea in his mind and finally decided he wanted to see Gaborik and Zuccarello together. Seriously, why not? He’s tried everybody else and Zuccarello’s creativity seems a good match for Gaborik’s elite offensive skill and skating.

Zuccarello said he found out when he walked into the dressing room upon arriving at the Garden. Zuccarello, by the way, endured a three-hour drive through snowy conditions (to say the least) from Bridgeport after playing for the Connecticut Whale on Sunday.

Zuccarello said he didn’t think there any major differences in his game tonight (first NHL point with an assist on Derek Stepan’s power-play goal to make it 7-2) and his NHL debut in Thursday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Lightning. The game didn’t slow down any but Zuccarello did say he felt less nervous. He said it was somewhat comforting just to have been in the dressing room before, to know the pre-game routine.

Regardless, the lines certainly produced offense, though the Islanders played like a tired team after beating the Canadiens, 4-1, on Sunday.

“They looked pretty tired,” Lundqvist said. “We made it tough for them to play.”

Here’s how the season-high 52 shots broke down:
Zuccarello-Stepan-Gaborik: 13, including six for Gaborik (Gaborik and Stepan with goals)
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Drury: 12, including six for Dubinsky (Dubinsky with a goal)
Fedotenko-Boyle-Prust: 6 (Boyle, Fedotenko with goals)
Avery-Christensen-Frolov: 7.

And, obviously, two goals from Matt Gilroy.

The Long Island native said the only message he received from the coaching staff as he’s already been a healthy scratch 15 times this season was not to get down.

“They said just stay with it,” Gilroy said. “They said it’s a long season and it is. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

Here are the Rangers post-game notes/quotes:
* The Rangers defeated the New York Islanders, 7-2, tonight at Madison Square Garden to improve to 21-14-2 overall, including a 9-8-2 mark at home. New York has registered a point in 15 of their last 22 games (14-7-1 over the span), and eight of their last 11 games at MSG (7-3-1).
* The Blueshirts were credited with a season-high, 52 shots in the contest, their most since they registered 57 vs. the Islanders on Mar. 5, 2007 (2-1 win). The Rangers tied their season-high for most shots in a period with 18 in both the first and second periods, and their 36 shots through two periods is their most since recording 37 shots through two (20 in the 1st, 17 in the 2nd) vs. Washington on Oct. 12, 2007 (3-1 win). *Courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau
* This is the third time the Rangers tallied seven or more goals in a game this season, having previously defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 8-2, on Nov. 14 and the Washington Capitals, 7-0, on Dec. 12, both games at MSG.
* Matt Gilroy registered his first career multi-goal game with two goals, led all skaters with four blocked shots and tied his career-high with a plus-three rating while earning first star honors. He has now recorded a plus-10 rating in his last 13 games, and has tallied three points (two goals, one assist) in the last two contests. Gilroy’s second goal at 12:08 of the second period was the eventual game-winner, and the Rangers improved to 4-0-1 when he registers a point.
* Brian Boyle tallied a career-high, three points with one goal and two assists, posted a career-high, plus-three rating and led the team with nine faceoff wins in 13 attempts (69%). Boyle has now registered 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in the last 10 games.
* The Rangers notched two power play goals in four attempts (5:57), and have now tallied a goal on the man advantage in eight of the last 11 games (9-40, 22.5% over the span). The Blueshirts also held the Islanders scoreless in two shorthanded situations, and now rank seventh in the NHL with a plus-seven rating on special teams.
* Brandon Dubinsky registered his ninth multi-point effort of the season with one goal and one assist, and tied for the game-high with six shots on goal. He has now recorded 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in the last 11 games.
* Marian Gaborik tallied two power play points (one goal, one assist), and tied for the game-high with six shots on goal in his return to the lineup after missing Thursday’s 4-3 shootout loss vs. Tampa Bay due to a groin strain. He has now recorded 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in his last 19 games.
* Derek Stepan extended his goal scoring streak to four games (four goals) with a power play tally at 10:34 of the third period, and added a power play assist for his fourth career multi-point performance. He has now recorded 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in the last 21 games.
* Mats Zuccarello registered his first career point with an assist on Derek Stepan’s power play goal at 10:34 of the third period, and was credited with three hits in the contest following his recall from Connecticut yesterday. Zuccarello made his NHL debut on Thursday vs. Tampa Bay.
* Rangers’ Captain Chris Drury recorded two assists in the contest, and has now tallied four assists in the last four games.
* Henrik Lundqvist made 18 saves to improve to 15-12-2 overall, including a 5-6-2 mark at MSG. He is now 8-4-1 with a 1.89 goals against average, a .929 save percentage and three shutouts in his last 13 games.
* Ruslan Fedotenko notched one goal, posted a season-high, plus-three rating and was credited with a team-high, four hits. Fedotenko has tallied a goal in each of the last two games, and has registered three points (two goals, one assist) in the last four. The Rangers improved to 6-0-1 when he tallies a goal, and are 9-2-2 when he registers a point.
* Defensemen Marc Staal and Michal Rozsival, and forwards Brandon Prust and Artem Anisimov each recorded one assist for the Rangers. Staal has now registered 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in the last 15 games, including six points (two goals, four assists) in the last seven. Anisimov has registered five points (two goals, three assists) in the last six games, with two assists in the last two.
* The Blueshirts’ practice schedule for tomorrow, Dec. 28, is 11:00 a.m. at the MSG Training Center.
* The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, Dec. 29, at Prudential Center (7:00 p.m.), to begin a three-game road trip. The game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio and newyorkrangers.com.

POST-GAME QUOTES
John Tortorella on the team’s play at home…
“We’re just trying to play. We spent a lot of time thinking about it and talking about it prior to the season. We didn’t start out well but we just wanted to leave it alone, go out and continue to play. Grind through it and find ways to win hockey games. I think we are 7-3-1 in our last 11 games here, but we found a way. And we’re just trying to play, no matter where we’re playing, we’re just trying to play and I think we’ve been consistent.”

Matt Gilroy on playing against the Islanders…
“It is nice. I grew up about two miles from that rink. I saw a lot of games there. It is good to be a part of the rivalry now. It was good to get the two goals.”

Posted by Andrew Gross on 12/28 at 06:48 AM

Continued Rangers success due to many things, but two stand out: 1) The Rangers hustle up and down the ice, and 2) T-E-A-M.

How many years have we waited for a team with these two traits? Too many to count, that’s for sure. And it seems the team is only improving (take face-offs as an example) and has enough firepower to challenge the best teams.

Posted by NCSteve on 12/28 at 03:36 PM

Good for Gilroy! I was hoping he would get his hat trick in the 3rd. Gabby tried a couple of times to slither a pass to him pinching down to the weak side. I don’t know about you boys, but I think Gilroy EARNS another game on Wednesday.

Zuccarello and Gabby with Stepan in the middle were fun to watch. How about the play were Zuc poke checks the puck on the right boards, does a 180 around the defense, grabs the puck on the other side, and is ready to dish it to Gabby. I REALLY want to see a few more games with this line intact. The kid has some skills, I say keep him up for a few games,and see what develops.

See you all in April

Posted by Sioux-per-man on 12/28 at 04:50 PM

Brandon Dubinsky was unquestionably the best player at MSG last night.

This kid is developing into an all-star with a great two way game.

Posted by jacob on 12/28 at 04:52 PM

Love Dubinsky’s game. Even when he’s not scoring, he’s making his presence known out there with solid forechecking, backchecking, and physical play.

Posted by daveB on 12/28 at 05:18 PM

I’m not John Tortorella, but my guess is that Gilroy has played himself into the lineup, and will continue to be there until he proves he shouldn’t be. Del Zotto will be back in versus Jersey and my guess is that either Eminger or Sauer will sit, as they don’t provide the offense and offensive mentality that Gilroy has.

Posted by Justin on 12/28 at 05:27 PM

pretty cool how people around here are bold enough to say positve things about Dubinsky nowadays and aren’t afraid to have LI Joe jumping down their throats within two minutes of of posting it.

guess we can credit the invisible troll for that one

Posted by alex on 12/28 at 05:44 PM

1. Good for Gilroy! You’ve got to feel good for the kid. Actually, this defensive six is probably the best for now. No need to rush the struggling MDZ back. Too bad he can’t spend a month in Hartford to get back his game.

2. DUBINSKY! He has become the heart and soul of the team. At some point (sooner rather than later) he needs to be made an assistant captain.

Posted by Bill on 12/28 at 05:51 PM

Dubinsky has been solid this year. He has really improved on his consistency game-to-game, as well as period-to-period. He’s booming with confidence. Although I don’t see him becoming an alternate captain because of his holdout last season. He put himself ahead of the team. There are other players on the roster that are more deserving.

Posted by segaszivos on 12/28 at 06:06 PM

wow, Dubinsky missed a few pre-season games last year, lets hold it against him forever…

Posted by alex on 12/28 at 06:38 PM

I think MZA had a tough time settling in last night because of Gabby and it wasn’t because Gabby played poorly. It was like, ” Oh my gosh, I’m playing with Gaborik.” As the game progressed you could see he was getting it.

Posted by NYRfan16 on 12/28 at 06:59 PM

segaszivos… as I recall Staal “put himself ahead of the team” this preseason and was rewarded with an “A”

IMHO, Dubinsky deserves it more than Staal. A captain or assistant captain needs to show leadership qualities. Dubinsky has that quality. I’m not sure Staal does.

Posted by Bill on 12/28 at 07:18 PM

the only people bringing up either Dubinsky’s contract negotiation last year or Staal’s contract negotiation this year are people on the blogs.

neither situation will have anything to do with who is eventually named captain or alernate captain.

it’s stupid that people continue to harp on either.

Dubinsky is leading the team in points and is the 12th highest paid player on the team.

Posted by alex on 12/28 at 07:26 PM

Dubinsky has had a very solid year. He scored a bunch of goals early, but now that his offense has cooled off he has upped the effort level away from the puck. That’s the big difference I see in him this season. He’ll get “hot” again, he always does. He’s been a “streaky” player every year he’s been with the Rangers. As for those folks who still are holding his “holdout” against him, I hope you are never in the position of having to negotiate a contract for yourself. He and his agent used the only leverage they had, so he held out. If he gets to arbitration after this season, do you think that NY Ranger management is going to tell the arbitrator what a great player he is? They’ll minimize his impact in an attempt to get the contract value they want.

Posted by Rich on 12/28 at 07:30 PM

despite Dubinsky cooling off with the scoring, more needs to be said about how great his passing has been.

His pass on the Stepan tying goal vs TB was amazing the other night

Posted by alex on 12/28 at 07:32 PM

I just saw that todd white has been put on waivers.. finally.

Posted by Nick on 12/28 at 07:40 PM

This might be the third time White has been put on waivers this year, but every time he cleared waivers. We can only hope this time.

Posted by NYRfan16 on 12/28 at 07:48 PM

with Zuc here this might be the end of white, hopefully. he’s a waist of space.

Posted by Nick on 12/28 at 07:49 PM

nick he was put on waivers 3 timnes already. was he sent down too or just put on waivers

troll/alez go f yourself. maybe you should get a room with your idol. (see 11:44 to see where this is coming from)

Posted by JJ on 12/28 at 07:50 PM

JJ,

are you telling me to go F myself, or am I talking to the make believe troll? it;s confusing

Posted by alex on 12/28 at 07:54 PM

can’t make this stuff up about you mindless cattle bragging about Dubinsky when we beat the worst team in the league 7-2 last night

Posted by JJ on 12/28 at 08:01 PM

alex i’m telling you (the troll) to go f yourself. quit using my name. and the 11:44 post was what brought my response. all afternoon yesterday you posted more bs using my name. the only posts i did yesterday afternoon were under this id. yes i did some under jj last night during game.

you already chased good posters like keith, rogan and matty away.

so leave me out of youe bs and your sorry life.

thank you.

Posted by Imposters R US on 12/28 at 08:02 PM

how many people in total have you accused of being your imaginary troll at this point?

has the number reached 100?

Posted by alex on 12/28 at 08:06 PM

so this person alex starts posting yesterday. with unabashed love for dubinsky and hatred for me. never saw his posts before yesterday. who the hell do you think you’re fooling. and sure hate on me but you ruined this comment area and chased away good people and good posters.

Posted by Imposters R US on 12/28 at 08:10 PM

lmao, this is funny

Posted by JJ on 12/28 at 08:21 PM

so this person alex starts posting yesterday. with unabashed love for dubinsky and hatred for me. never saw his posts before yesterday. who the hell do you think you’re fooling. and sure hate on me but you ruined this comment area and chased away good people and good posters.

Posted by Imposters R US on 12/28 at 02:10 PM
Joe you’re to blame too and I love your Dubi bashing earlier in this thread.

About

ANDREW GROSS covers the New York Rangers for The Record and Herald News, having joined the North Jersey Media Group in November 2007. Gross also covered the Rangers and New York Jets, as well as St. John’s basketball and Army football, for Gannett Newspapers and The Journal News (N.Y.). He graduated from Syracuse University in 1989 with a degree in newspaper journalism.